


The benefit of height differences

by sailorkittycat



Category: British Actor RPF
Genre: Bookshop, F/M, Height Differences, meet cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-28
Updated: 2016-11-28
Packaged: 2018-09-02 22:05:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8685142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sailorkittycat/pseuds/sailorkittycat
Summary: “you’re super short and i’m sorry but it’s really really cute whenever you try to reach that book on the top shelf here lemme help you- oh no don’t be embarrassed, your face is all red and you’re even more adorable now i am going to die” au





	

When Tom entered the bookshop, shaking off the mid-afternoon rain, he hadn’t expected to leave with anything more than a book. He had wanted to make the most of his time off by picking up some new books to relax with, but instead came across a girl in the gardening section. A short girl. She barely skimmed his clavicle, as she stood in her yellow raincoat and matching rain boots browsing the books with a far too serious expression on her round face. She was sort of cute, Tom decided, as he watched her out of the corner of his eye. He observed her casually as she used her index finger to push up her pair of owly, round glasses; the sky blue shade of her nails caught his attention especially. Okay, correction: she was very cute. She tilted her head to one side as she read the titles of the books on the shelves, nibbling at her bottom lip absentmindedly.

Tom pretended to be interested in the books in front of him on garden design, reading the titles slowly, his eyes tracing every ascender and descender of the letters in an attempt to remain close to this mysterious, adorable girl. She looked down to fumble in her pocket and the dark curtain of her hair fell forward, offering only a partial view of her through the strands of dark brown hair. It was cut short, sitting nicely on her shoulder, although the humidity of the day had taken its toll on her making her hair curl a little. She lifted a tissue to her button nose, sneezing in a way that reminded Tom of a kitten, though perhaps this was an exaggeration on his part.

“Bless you” he said automatically.

“Thanks” she said, her eyes meeting his for the first time before turning back to the books on the shelf above.

Tom bit the inside of his cheek as he regarded her, he wanted to start a conversation with her but she was so immersed in the books that he didn’t dare interrupt her. Her brow crinkled as she regarded something on a higher shelf. She reached up to grab it but wasn’t anywhere close to reaching it. Frowning harder, she stood on the tips of her toes but it didn’t help by much. She attempted to jump up and reach it but it didn’t work either. Tom watched in amusement as she huffed angrily, her fringe fluttering as she did so.

“Would you like some help?” Tom asked, his lips had been curved upwards as he watched her endeavours, and couldn’t help but evolve into a grin as she blinked at him in surprise.

“Um” she shifted her weight from one foot to another, unable to make eye contact with him “you don’t have to, I could probably reach it.”

Tom laughed “from all the way down there?”

“I could too” she said pointing her chin up at him in defiance “I’m just… not wearing the right shoes.”

“Ah, I see” he noted the rain slicked yellow boots again “luckily I’m wearing proper footwear” he said, throwing a wink her way for good measure. It paid off because he watched as her honey brown skin revealed the ever so slightly red hue of her blush to him. He reached up with ease, plucking the book as easily as though it were fruit from a low hanging branch.

“Thank you” she said quietly, cradling the moss green coloured book on trees.

“Any time” she peeked up from the book to him and when she noticed him staring back, she looked down and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear self-consciously. She flicked through the pages, though something about the way her eyes glanced at the illustrations looked staged to him.

“Do you think you’ll buy it?” Tom asked casually as he looked at the paperbacks he had picked up.

“Maybe” she said, turning the book over to look at the price “okay maybe not.”

“I could buy it for you if you want.”

“What?” She looked at him, completely confused by Tom’s generous gesture “why?”

He shrugged “because you want it.”

She scowled at him, hugging the book to her chest “I’m not going to blow you in the alley way.”

Tom was glad he wasn’t drinking anything because he would have spat it right out, though he did choke a little on his saliva before dissolving into laughter.

“I didn’t- I wasn’t trying to suggest-“ he struggled to get the right words out, still half shocked half entertained by her ideas.

“I’m sorry, that wasn’t what I was trying to suggest” he said, hoping that he was more coherent in his aim “I just thought that you looked good with the book, and that you might want it.”

“Oh” it was the only thing that came out of her lips as she contemplated his words, with her embarrassment flooding her cheeks.

“Maybe instead we could start with coffee?” Tom offered, hoping he wasn’t being too forward.

She nodded “that sounds better.”


End file.
